Hundreds of Temporary Apartment Units in Miami Donated to Staff at Jackson Health System Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic by the José Milton Family and United Property Management

Milton Family will make over 300 apartment units available for at least 30 days.

MIAMI, April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackson Health Foundation announced today that the José Milton Family and United Property Management ("UPM") will donate 300 apartment units to be used, free of charge, by healthcare professionals at Jackson Health System as they continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The staff at Jackson Health System continues to put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe," said Cecil Milton, president of José Milton & Associates. "We are offering staff apartments where they can live and keep their families safe by practicing social distancing as they continue to fight against this disease. COVID-19 is an unprecedented threat to our community, and we are fortunate to have such a talented, dedicated, and compassionate healthcare team at Jackson leading the fight."

The donated apartments are fully furnished and include free utilities. The apartments will be available under a 30-day lease, with weekly extensions as required, and amounts to an overall donation of over $2.2 million.

"I think it's a wonderful resource for any employee at Jackson," said Carla Calonge, a nurse in the emergency department at Jackson Memorial Hospital whose daughter Deniz Azucena Aguero, is a senior ER technician in the pediatric emergency department at Holtz Children's Hospital. "This allows my daughter and me to continue serving the Public Health Trust and being able to go home with the peace of mind that we are not exposing our loved ones to a potentially deadly disease. We are beyond grateful to the Jose Milton Family and Jackson for giving us this peace of mind."

City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell worked alongside Jackson Health Foundation, the Jose Milton Family, and Jackson Health System to bring this effort to fruition. Commissioner Russell was approached by the José Milton Family about finding a way to help first responders using their stock of furnished apartments. After a nurse at Jackson lost her life to the coronavirus, he called Jackson Health System President and CEO Carlos A. Migoya to offer healthcare workers a place to stay while working on the frontlines, instead of worrying about spreading the virus to their families. Russell had earlier put together a free meals program for 2,500 nurses and doctors at Jackson Health System with Uber Eats.

"Our first responders are the heroes of this crisis. Offering the comfort of food and a safe place to stay while this battle is being fought is the least we can do to support them as they keep us safe," said Miami Commissioner Ken Russell. "I will continue putting those in need together with those who generously want to help."

The temporary apartment units will be available at three of UPM's developments in cooperation with their short-term rentals partners - Miami Bay Waterfront Residences and Mare Azure Short-Term Rentals, Brickell West Apartments and Love Pop Realty/Outpost Miami, and Intracoastal Yacht Club and Hosteeva Short-Term Rentals.

"The Milton family and United Property Management are the epitome of community corporate leaders," said Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System. "They leaped into action immediately, and it's making a real difference for our nurses, doctors, and other frontline caregivers."